Mass movement to protect reservation positive effort: Akhilesh on Bharat Bandh

SP president supports day-long protest against Supreme Court's decision on SC-ST reservation; calls it a check on government excess

Bhim Army supporters block railway tracks in support of the Bharat Bandh call over the recent Supreme Court ruling on SC/ST reservations, in Arrah, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2024. PTI

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday backed the day-long Bharat Bandh called by some groups over community-based reservation, noting that "public movements" put a check on "unbridled government".

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister took to social media platform X to share his views on the issue.

"The mass movement to protect reservation is a positive effort. It will instill new consciousness among the exploited and deprived and will prove to be a shield of people's power against any kind of tampering with reservation. Peaceful movement is a democratic right," he posted in Hindi.

"Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar had already warned that the Constitution will only work if the intentions of those implementing it are correct.

When the governments in power will tamper with the Constitution and the rights given by it through fraud, scams and scandals, then the public will have to take to the streets.

Public movements put a check on unbridled government," Yadav added.

Twenty-one organisations across the country have called for a Bharat Bandh on Wednesday against the Supreme Court's August 1 decision on the issue of SC-ST reservation.

The organisations opposed this decision and said that it will harm the basic principles of reservation.